Seeing that Vukovi were doing a one off play through of My God Has Got A Gun, we knew we had to be there. This was going to be something special.
All live pictures courtesy of Andy Pountney (Instragram).
AN ECLECTIC MIX
Well before the doors opened, a decent sized queue had gathered outside the O2 Ritz with an eclectic mix of alternative, punk and metal shirts as well as a large number of Vukovi shirts and hoodies. As soon as the doors opened, the early arriving devotees split with half rushing to grab a spot on the barrier while the rest went to the merch desk hoping to pick up some of the limited edition items.
SOAPBOX
There is an air of anticipation in the venue and before long, the aptly named, outspoken Glaswegian punks Soapbox take to the stage launching into Fascist Bob. Frontman Tom Rowan was confrontational as he bounced around the stage before climbing down to the barrier to engage with the front rows. The lyrics are political with the subtlety of a sledgehammer to the face. They address the stark reality of modern life and they are carried perfectly by the band’s modern punk.
It was aggressive, full of vitriol, and yet also good fun with the crowd pogoing up and down. Meter Made and Boiling a Frog came early with Tom (and his bottle of Buckfast!) being the perfect agitator for the crowd who hung on his every word. The energy builds with each passing track before closing with Yer Da and Drafted. Although the band are used (and maybe better suited) to more intimate venues, this worked really well and was full of an authenticity and urgency which is often missing from live music. Although punk is not usually my thing, I was impressed and will definitely be making an effort to catch Soapbox again soon.
ALT BLK ERA
After a short changeover, there was a change in atmosphere for ALT BLK ERA who brought a completely different energy to the Ritz. From the outset, the Becket-Messam sisters brought attitude with Our World and My Drummer’s Girlfriend. The room was invited to sing along to Come Fight Me for It and didn’t need asking twice! The energy and sass in the room increases with each track with the band inviting the crowd to come and meet them at the merch after the show. With only one album (and a couple of EPs) under their collective belt, ALT BLK ERA really do punch above their weight having performed at some of the country’s biggest festivals and having won a MOBO for Best Alternative Music Act.
This calibre was evident in tonight’s performance which was polished but gritty at the same time. The whole band looked to be enjoying the show as much as the crowd as they danced and jumped around the stage. The set was brought to a close with the anthemic Run Rabbit which had the whole room jumping and singing, with the band being treated as headliners. After a few minutes, Nyrobi and Chaya made their way to the barrier to hand out stickers to the front rows while the stage was set up for the headliners.
VUKOVI
Vukovi are one of those bands that have slowly built a reputation based on hard work and talent, and are now rightly getting the recognition that they fully deserve. Tonight is a celebration of that with their most recent album getting played in full, with this being a one off, and likely the first and last time some of the songs would be played live.
As promised, the set opens with This Is My Life And My Trauma with the band playing in front of dense red backlighting making the band appear as silhouettes for large portions of the set. Vocalist Janine showered the front rows in champagne early on as she shared a bottle with Hamish during the set.
MY GOD HAS GOT A GUN
My God Has Got A Gun, complete with a member of the crowd joining the band onstage with some impressive vocals at the climax of the song, was a bona fide alternative rock anthem before Fuc Kit Up and Misty Ecstasy brought punky and dark pop sensibilities to the evening.
The MGHGAG portion of the set closed with Bladed before the band launch into a short set of six “greatest hits” from the rest of the discography. Opening with Lasso, Janine takes a few moments to offer thanks to the crowd before launching into I Exist and finally then inevitable La Di Da, which got the biggest crowd reaction of the night, complete with Janine crowd surfing and Hamish throwing his guitar to the crowd at the end.
This evening had been a triumphant celebration of alternative music which is clearly in a rude state of health in this country, and long may it continue.
Vukovi: Website
ALT BLK ERA: Website
Soapbox: Bandcamp