Slaves - Tunbridge Wells Forum - February 12 2015 (Live Review)
Tuesday, 17 February 2015
Written by Ryan Crittenden
Dotted around the walls of Tunbridge Wells’ fabled public toilet turned music venue are pictures of bands that have graced the stage. It is testament to local boys Laurie Vincent and Isaac Holman that the shot that takes pride of place next to the bar is from one from Slaves’ early shows here.
Coming back to where it all really began, this is the most triumphant of hometown shows for the classy punk duo. It’s an explosive set from start to finish, with Holman and Vincent treating pumped up fans to songs old and new.
Kicking off with White Knuckle Ride, the tone is set. As they rattle through It’s An Epidemic and the ferocious Live Like An Animal, the smartly dressed pair soon discard their shirts as the raucous applause translates into a sweatbox atmosphere.
Feed The Mantaray comes complete with a wine-swigging, aquatic dancing, crowd surfing mantaray, much to the delight of everyone in attendance, while renditions of Where’s Your Car Debbie? and the always epic, somewhat chaotic Girl Fight ring especially true so close to home.
The Hunter gets the biggest reaction of the night, with Holman spitting out his words and Vincent showcasing his impressive snake hips, while future hit Cheer Up London is an ode to the wonderful people on the capital’s public transport network.
It proves to be a great warm up for Beauty Quest, during which Holman crowd surfs his way to the back of the venue, and after a touching embrace between the band, everyone gets a chance to get everything out of their system with an intense Hey. With ‘Are You Satisfied?’ due for release in June and a summer schedule packed with festivals, you get a sense that 2015 is there for the taking.
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