Photo: Richard Gray
After rescheduling a previous date due to a dislocated shoulder, Slaves finally headline at The Forum, London tonight. Showing no signs of injury, they're definitely worth the wait. Celebrating over 60,000 records sold, the Kent twosome celebrate by performing tracks off their debut album Are You Satisfied?
Laurie Vincent (guitar) and Isaac Holman (drums) bring attitude and charisma as they hammer away on their minimal stage. For a duo, they definitely make the sound of a much larger band. It’s an odd mix in the crowd tonight. There’s a meld of fresh-faced angsty teenagers and forty-somethings reliving their punk youths, which is a testament to the band’s universal appeal.
It may be a slow start but ‘Sockets’ gets everyone jumping. Holman and Vincent are completely endearing, their bad jokes and funny anecdotes easily lead them into tracks like ‘Where’s Your Car Debbie?’, and their eponymous ‘Are You Satisfied?’ is welcomed warmly as Vincent mashes the chords on an acoustic guitar.
‘Cheer Up London’ is one of the loudest tracks; the audience scream “you’re dead already!” as Holman thumps away at his drums. The new track ‘Hypnotise’ stands out with their moody commentary on “shit TV”, whilst older tracks like ‘White Knuckle Ride’ are more sludgy and powerful. The crowd seem to really get into ‘Hey’ as they constantly bellow back at the pair.
Considering they are described as ‘British punk’, the band has a great set of sing-alongs and everyone joins in with every chorus. The hammering, scuzzy riffs encapsulate the spirit of the album, but you can truly appreciate the energy in their scuzzy chords when seeing the Kent lads live.
On the whole, Slaves have a lot more personality than Royal Blood, but they’re a few riffs short of a White Stripes anthem. But it’s clear that they’re making their own mark. Tonight is loud, hilarious and a lot of fun – we leave very satisfied.
