Although a lover of Docs for many a year, they’ve become far too ‘cool’ in recent years than I care for…I mean, everyone has some now, and you can even buy the Union Jack toe capped ones without anybody accusing you of being in the National Front, ffs! So a tour sponsored by the world’s coolest alternative footware brand did fill me with a little worry, the same kind of feeling I get if anyone ever invites me to anything in Shoreditch – it’s so hip it hurts, and I just don’t quite get it. And having not been to punk gig since The Distillers as a teenager, could I still bust a mosh if required? Well, I was very pleasantly surprised with Saturday nights offering…
Sonic Boom Six are a Manchester 5-piece currently on the Dr. Martens ‘Stand For Something’ tour. And they, quite simply, are brilliant.
Described as fusing grime, punk, dubstep, ska and many other genres, there’s a risk that by throwing all these different styles in the air to see which ones stick the end could be quite messy. No. They’ve got it right. This is what life in the city sounds like today – eclectic, sexy, tough. There was plenty of funk in the rhythm to get dancing my sexy dance, but peppered with these bursts of fast and unrelenting punk moments where I found my inner teen and threw some cracking (yet friendly) head butts. Awesome. ‘Sunny Side of the Street’ is super sunshine reggae, perfect for summer in the city with headphones on and provides a nice moment to get your breath back following going pogo-mental in ‘The Road to Hell is Paved with Good Inventions’ – a hard, fast and loud punk party. The crowd goes ‘Woop Woop’ crazy for ‘Piggy In The Middle’, featuring some inventive, tongue-in-cheek sampling.
Lead singers Leila K and Barney Boom have brilliant chemistry on stage and are very vocally tight. She is achingly cool, full of ballsy attitude and banter. He is slightly more reserved, a bit more mysterious, a quietly deadly ring leader. However, both are quiet happy looking a bit mental for the sake of the song, dueting with weird kazoo-keyboard looking things at one point. Guitarists’ Nick and James are very impressive, and Neil on drums is brilliant cracking out the Animal style enthusiasm to push the set forward.
Addressing the audience during the gig, Leila K pushes the message of the ‘Stand For Something Tour’, to tell us she stands for ‘Not giving a shit what anyone thinks’. It’s an old message, but still a strong one, and if this is what it looks and sounds like in 2013, well that’s ok with me. So overall, want to dance your face off to every genre going to music so infectious you’re still pogo-ing in your sleep? This is the band for you, a sweaty and sexy urban night out.
Kate Tittley
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