If you know anything about punk duo Slaves, then you can probably guess what you would experience at one of their gigs. Drummer Isaac Holman and guitarist Laurie Vincent have an amazing stage presence full of angst and rebellion, which the mostly teen audience could easily get behind.

From start to finish, the atmosphere was one of intensity and excess. The mosh pit expanded to the majority of the large crowd; most were completely up for getting stuck in, whereas others timidly stood on the outskirts. However, as the night went on everyone was taking part.

It was impressive the crowd kept up their energy considering it wasn’t a short gig, with two support acts before that. The support acts, Shame and Life, both channelled classic punk, with Life performing a song that slammed Donald Trump, further  heightening the subversive mood.

The intensity proved too much for some as regularly people drenched with sweat would try to make their way out of the centre of the mosh pit. Although there was a sense of abandonment in the night’s insane vibe, Isaac told the crowd to look after each other, ti pick one another up when they fell down. This proved a welcome reminder, since people fell a lot.

You could sense the energy increasing throughout the night, reaching a new high when Slaves came on stage. This somehow continued to build throughout their set, the crowd anticipating their most popular songs such as ‘The Hunter’ and ‘Cheer up London’. They wrapped up the night with ‘Spit it Out’, the lead single from their latest album Take Control. This had the audience in a frenzy as the intensity reached its peak, but also because everyone knew it would soon be over; they wanted to savour every moment.

Lucy Ingram

[image: echoesanddust.com]