Slaves @ O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire, London - November 29, 2016

I'd been really looking forward to seeing Slaves live, anticipating a super high energy show. But, I was still surprised at just how much fun it was. The crowd was young sure, but more varied than I thought. There were plenty of girls and some attendees put way more thought into their outfits than I'd predict for a "punk" show. But the overall feeling from the crowd and the band and the night was feel-good, fun and welcoming.

Having looked them up before the show, I was interested in checking out openers LIFE. They're from Hull, and were a great match for Slaves with their enthusiasm and matching energy. Good choice.

With only an EP and 2 LPs to choose from, Slaves still put on a great long show. Lots of their songs are short, sharp punk singalongs, so the show had a great up beat throughout.

Laurie and Isaac were both indefatigable and engaging right at the very front of the stage; both often stepping up on the monitors, Isaac when he moved away from his stand-up drum set-up. On a few songs, Isaac was off the stage, on the barrier, or just in front of it. The fans respond accordingly with a huge, surging mosh pit and singing along enthusiastically.

Slaves are one of the best live bands I've seen. They make a genuine connection with the audience. They feel real and present and are extremely compelling to watch, and, of course, jump up and down with. I'd definitely catch another show.

Setlist:
Intro
Sockets
Play Dead
Same Again
People That You Meet
Dave (Skit)
Despair and Traffic
Suicide
Where's Your Car Debbie?
STD's/PHD's
Fuck The Hi-Hat
Consume Or Be Consumed
Angelica
Take Control
Hey
Girl Fight
Steer Clear
Cheer Up London
Feed the Mantaray
Are You Satisfied?
The Hunter
Encore:
Gary (Skit)
Lies
White Knuckle Ride
Spit It Out

Pixies @ O2 Academy Brixton, London - November 28, 2016

33 songs is a lot for the average concert. But, I was really surprised at some of the omissions. It made sense when I checked the setlist for this blog entry, and saw the following night's setlist in the same venue. They almost didn't repeat themselves. This would have been awesome for the fan attending both shows, of course. So, I missed Wave of Mutilation, Monkey Gone To Heaven, Gigantic, and some lesser gems like Is She Weird and Subacultcha. But, fortunately I got to hear U-Mass, my favourite Pixies song, to which I lost my shit over. As you do. Because they're touring in support of their new album, Head Carrier, I was expecting to hear the first single which I really like, Um Chagga Lagga. The next night's fans got that treat.

We got a good spot with a view of centre stage, and I spent much of the show letting the Pixies sound/noise wash over me. It was a slow builder, and no one in the band addressed the audience, but slowly you get swept into their sonic sea. The early songs are mostly back lit, obscuring the detail of their faces, as they seemingly take their time letting us into their world. Then the full colour hits and by the first notes of Here Comes Your Man, we are fully welcomed in, with the attendant singalong.

It was great to experience the Pixies' sound live, having loved many of their albums and tracks for years. Some bands are all about showmanship or energy or loudness, but the Pixies' live are all about the sound. And they got it right. It was special, and before a brief encore, the band took a bowing curtain call, which you don't often see at rock shows. Then, just before they came back on, the dry ice machine belched a massive wave over us. As it cleared, it was like emerging from a warzone, grey and surreal. As the Pixies played Into The White in the eerie fog, the new bassist Paz Lenchantin stood silhouetted with her low slung bass and sang almost motionlessly. Then more massive waves of dry ice buffeted us. It was by far the most I've ever experienced and then that was repeated half a dozen times. This final destination was a fittingly atmospheric representation of the enveloping aural journey we'd been taken on.

Setlist:
Where Is My Mind?
Nimrod's Son
Break My Body
Brick Is Red
Winterlong (Neil Young cover)
Blown Away
Mr.Grieves
La La Love You
Ana
All the Saints
Here Comes Your Man
Motorway to Roswell
Magdalena 318
Tenement Song
Classic Masher
Head On (Jesus and Mary Chain cover)
U-Mass
I've Been Tired
Velouria
Havalina
Snakes
Caribou
Rock Music
Baal's Back
Isla de Encanta
Oona
Planet of Sound
All I Think About Now
Hey
Gouge Away
Debaser
Tame

Encore:
Into the White

The Specials @ Rivermead Centre, Reading - November 8, 2016

The Specials live are all I hoped they would be: genuine and invigorating.

The set opened with their huge hit Ghost Town, and being in Reading at a little used (for music) leisure centre, it seemed fitting. Although the place was anything but a Ghost Town; it was packed with mostly 50+ Fred Perry and pork pie hat wearing blokes, a few with their girls in tow.

Terry Hall quite quickly starting chatting with the crowd and continued throughout the show. For once, I could clearly hear the stage banter. In fact, I thought the sound was really good and at the perfect volume. No ringing ears this morning!

He asked about the Town name pronounciation jokingly and there were some nods to missing band members, particularly John Bradbury who passed last December and should have been on this tour. Gary Powell from the Libertines very ably sat in on drums. At one point Terry admonished whoever threw a bottle on stage, and warned that one more and they'd walk off - they don't put up with that shit. I liked his middle-aged reasonableness: "put the empty in your pocket. Keep Britain Tidy." I imagine that the humble Mr. Hall has always been a decent bloke, and liked seeing this side of his personality.

Lynval Golding was full of energy throughout the show, and also talked to the crowd, mentioning (on this US Election eve) that he now lives in America and doesn't know if that's a good or bad thing. Horace Panter, the only other original member held down stage right with his bass. The rest of the band was guitarist, keyboardist, and at times, 2 trombonists, a violinist and backup singer.

Following Ghost Town were a handful of songs that weren't very familiar to me from my North American viewpoint, but by Blank Expression I was well into very familiar territory. This is the bouncy, driving ska band I fell in love with all those years ago.The only song I'd have like to have heard that I didn't was Pressure Drop, but that's only in retrospect as I type this.

Setlist:
Ghost Town
Do Nothing
Friday Night, Saturday Morning
Stereotype
Man At C&A
Blank Expression
Rat Race
Redemption Song (Bob Marley Cover)
Doesn't Make It Alright
Nite Klub
(Dawning of a) New Era
Do the Dog
Gangsters
Concrete Jungle
A Message to You, Rudy
Monkey Man
Little Bitch
Too Much Too Young
Enjoy Yourself (It's Later Than You Think)
Guns of Navarone
All the Time In The World (dedicated to John Bradbury)
You're Wondering Now