Photo Credit: Andy Davies
A quiet start to the evening saw the beautiful Bristol Beacon slowly filling up. Thankfully, by the time Heartworms took to the stage, the room had filled out nicely, and the crowd were about to be treated to a wonderfully dark opening set.
Musically the band sit a long way from tonight’s headliners, but they do a great job of shaking up the bill. Their goth-tinged operatic rock is received incredibly well by the early crowd. Up front, Josephine Orme leads the three piece with real confidence through a tight thirty-minute set that steadily wins the room over.
And so, onto Sleaford Mods, who true to form avoid any kind of rock star entrance. The pair simply shuffle on stage, give a quick nod, and launch straight into The Unwrap. The effect is instant. The crowd press closer to the front, nodding along.
The Good Life arrives in a burst of chaos, with Big Special and Gwendoline Christie appearing on the television screen set up on stage, the same way the other guest spots make their appearance throughout the set. Another new track Megaton follows and lands with serious weight, giving the night one of its most forceful moments. T.C.R is up next and the crowd lock in to the familiarity with the first front rows swaying with fists in the air and singing along.
You do start to wonder what someone completely new to Sleaford Mods would make of all this if tonight was their first experience. It certainly feels like most of the packed-out crowd have been along for the ride for years and know exactly what they are getting from what might be the most unique live act in the country.
In many ways it feels like punk without the usual signifiers. Imagine Crass in their prime but driven by beats and electronics and you might be getting somewhere close. Even that comparison does not quite capture it. Sleaford Mods have always been their own thing. No compromises, no attempt to follow anyone else, and all the better for it. It is more punk than plenty of bands who spend far more time trying to look the part.
Jason Williamson is a complete menace on stage. One moment he is practically trying to swallow the microphone, the next he is dancing like a man possessed, all while delivering a relentless verbal barrage. Andrew Fearn dances at the back of the stage, providing the wall of sound for Williamson to feed off. There is very little banter between band and crowd, as the pair work their way through the 25-song strong set. UK Grim thunders through the theatre, making the whole place vibrate with its gut-pumping tone. Older tunes Bang Someone Out and a stretch back to An Old Ditty are greeted like old mates turning up in the pub unexpectedly.
The cover of Pet Shop Boys’ West End Girls has the room singing along before the set rolls towards a climax, with Jobseeker and Tweet Tweet Tweet shutting down the party.
As the night draws to a close, the Bristol Beacon feels a long way from the polite concert hall it can sometimes be. Instead, it has been turned into something far looser and far louder. Exactly the sort of space Sleaford Mods thrive in.
Words and photos: Andy Davies
