I'd like to start off by saying how awesome the venue is! All old beams and craft beers and old-style pub, and the gig room is quite literally an old barn, pretty great!
 |
| I had a Nice Time.... |
So, after I'd grabbed a beer from the bar, I headed into the music room to see the support act, who was a DJ, and there was about 3 people in the room. Jamie Rodigan was playing some pretty cool reggae/old two tone stuff, but nah, I wanted to drink my beer and save my legs.
The first support band was all-girl punk band, The Tuts. Playing proper raw punk with pretty harmonies, The Tuts challenge everything that you think a punk band should be, even wearing sparkly clothes with Dr Martens! I've only even seen one all-female band before, and The Tuts definitely blew them out of the water! It's clear that the girls are all very switched-on and politically minded, singing songs about how their gender will always hold them back in the music industry, and how we need something decent to vote for in the upcoming elections. Definitely check out their songs Tut Tut Tut, and Always Hear the Same Shit.
Jamie Rodigan played another DJ set as The Skints' team was setting up, and this time it was a lot more fun, with everyone singing along and dancing to the super fun reggae and ska hits, from Bob Marley to Madness.
Finally, finally it was time for the band that all 200+ people in the barn were waiting for - The Skints! As much a dance band as a reggae band, it is impossible to confine The Skints to just one genre. It's so easy to get caught up in the chilled out, yet insanely fun sound of the band's music, Opening with Up Against the Wall Riddim (I think?), the entire audience was immediately bopping along.
We were also treated to a cover (which I didn't know, sorry!), the ska-tastic Friends and Business, and The Forest for the Trees, along with so many others from previous albums, Rise Up, Rubadubdub, and Rat-at-at.
Closing their main set was Cutlure Vulture, and of course everyone, band and audience alike gave it their all, singing and dancing as loud, and as much as possible. To chants of "one more set!" from the audience, guitarist/vocalist Joshua Waters Rudge crept back onstage behind a potted tree, which was part of their stage decoration. He was shortly followed by the rest of the band, and we finally got to see main vocalist and drummer, Jamie Kyriakides, who donned an acoustic guitar and played Sunny Sunny all stripped down. The most amazing experience I've had at a live gig was when I closed my eyes as they were playing this song - it felt like it was just me and the music, and it was so odd to see so many people when I opened my eyes again!
The sound of The Skints is an odd one; it's so bass-heavy, you can feel yourself moving because of it, but over the heavy low end is such a chilled out reggae sound, it's such an odd combination - but it works. The Skints sure know how to party, and picked the best venue to do so!
Before they left the stage for the final time, Joshua hinted at touring again over summer, after new music was released, so maybe stay tuned for an album review?
No comments:
Post a Comment