In a week where distrust in government and disengagement from the big three political parties enabled UKIP to hoodwink a not insignificant portion of the British voting public, a band that questions the power and influence of the state with intelligence and wit is a welcome tonic to the manipulative scaremongering of Farage and co.
Tonight, State of Play deliver a set that swaggers with purpose, fusing elements of hip-hop, rock and R&B with a deftness that defies any attempt to pigeonhole their sound.
Opener ‘Sequel to a Bad Movie’ introduces the band’s anti-populist manifesto, as one part of SOP’s vocal trinity, Anthony Mensah (A-Mens) berates the suffocating influence of dreadful reality TV shows (The X-Factor, Big Brother, TOWIE) and dreadful politicians (Thatcher, Cameron) in the same verse.
They take things up a gear on the soulful ‘People of Now’, one of two songs they play from new EP ‘Manufacturing Consent’, before the heavy guitar funk of ‘Hero’, the lyrics of which feature a roll call of Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, Rosa Parkes and Nelson Mandela.
The highlight of the night is new track ‘All Alright’, on which A-Mens and the band’s other two vocalists, Missy and Ahmar (S.V.) combine on the catchy hook line “I’m tired of living like it’s all alright/like the wars they fight don’t make them criminals”.
Before set closer ‘Children of the Sun’, A-Mens announces that the new EP is on sale at the gig, telling the audience to pay what they want to pay for a copy; it’s a generous gesture that demonstrates not only the band’s non-commercial philosophy, but also their desire to connect with people and remove any barrier between them and their audience. Welcome to the State.
Paul Sng
@sng_paul
Paul Sng
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