Skint & Demoralised - The Hop, Wakefield - 4th March 2011 (Live Review)
Monday, 14 March 2011
Written by Sally Atlass
It may be a far cry from Glastonbury and Leeds fest, but for Skint and Demoralised, tonight’s headline slot at their local live venue means a lot. You can tell by the way front man Matt Abbott is pacing back and forth.
‘If I don’t get nervous there’s no point in performing anymore’ he quips. ‘It all turns into adrenaline when I get on the stage.’
The venue has already seen some quality support acts this evening, with The Grand, The Ran Tan Waltz and Dirty Jeans, and was ready for more. As the band get ready to begin the set, they suddenly realise Matt has disappeared. He bounds onto the stage a couple of seconds late, and they immediately launch into a characteristic upbeat tune, which has everyone dancing within seconds.
It’s a good mix of new songs from their second album 'This Sporting Life', which is due for release soon, and songs from their first album, and Matt’s performance poetry. He chants out one about Blackpool before 'Red Lipstick' and dedicates a poem about political activism and the BNP to an audience member.
On the stage, Matt is engaging, and even cracks a couple of jokes about Wakefield and the area’s nightclubs. He’s also energetic, moving around the stage a lot, and you can see the sweat pouring off him. As the gig draws to a close, they pull out crowd pleaser 'The Thrill of 30 Seconds', and suddenly, although the dance floor was packed before, you can’t move now. As they end on new song 'The Lonely Hearts of England', you’re sort of swept away with the uplifting tempo and tongue in cheek lyrics.
The gig ends, and Matt runs off stage for a quick cig before everyone piles out. His bottle of vodka is in his pocket and he takes a swig looking a lot happier than earlier. And so he should. It was an excellent gig.
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It’s a good mix of new songs from their second album 'This Sporting Life', which is due for release soon, and songs from their first album, and Matt’s performance poetry. He chants out one about Blackpool before 'Red Lipstick' and dedicates a poem about political activism and the BNP to an audience member. 
