LIVE: Slaves - The Ritz, Manchester 15.01.16

What do you get when you mix together a blend of a strong political mind-set with thrashing punk rock? Slaves. The band have recently resumed their delayed tour (due to an injury in the band caused by over enthusiasm whilst on stage, very rock and roll) and finally arrived in Manchester for the first of their two night residency. Formed way back in 2012, the duo have risen to become one of the hottest tipped bands amongst many music critics. Isaac Holman, lead singer and drummer, seems to have recovered well; once again full of energy but maybe slightly more aware of his overall fragility. Was it worth the wait?

Entering the stage to the booming sounds of the Vengaboys, you just had the feeling you were going to be in for a wild night here. Isaac, dressed all in white, and Laurie, wearing all black, blend together perfectly in a blinding performance that resembled the motives of every colour other than monochrome. Kicking things off with ‘Ninety Nine’, the audience were given a taste of what was to come. The strobes and bass flashed across the audience, their faces shone in amazement at the pure energy that was being displayed by the band. The backdrop of the stage later fell to reveal the artwork from Are You Satisfied?, which was met with cheers and shouts.

To say the crowd were wild would be an understatement. The whole building was awash with sweat, vigorous movements and crowd surfing. I, for one, was glad to avoid the middle of the crowd when hit songs such as ‘The Hunter’ and ‘Cheer Up London’ chorused in. The atmosphere became more like a riot rather than a gig, the crowd were at a fever pitch with mosh pits and limbs flailing all over the place. This is far from a complaint – this is exactly what Slaves wanted.

A personal highlight for me would be ‘Where’s Your Car Debbie?’. The pure animalistic energy on display was amazing to see. It just showed what this band are capable of, and despite only just recovering from an injury, the levels of energy they can still perform at. I would love to see them at their 100% full healthiness because I can imagine that would be an amazing spectacle to watch. The band closed their chaotic set with the song ‘Hey’, a fan was passed the microphone and was granted the honour of singing along with the band.

Slaves are the emerging talent the punk rock genre has been crying out to see. It is a breath of fresh air and proof the genre is far from obsolete. It’s arguable that the band have already made it’ they have launched themselves into the public eye with a huge amount of ferocity. I can only see a bright future for them, certainly their musical ability is there and the shows are not to be missed. If you have not seen these two live yet I cannot recommend them enough, it is a great atmosphere and an energetic experience. Maybe stay towards the back if you possess a rather brittle body like myself though.