Three albums in, four years and an almost non-stop touring schedule; any other band would collapse at its foundations, but Slaves defy all expectations by refusing to slip into mediocrity, and instead continue to assert themselves as one of the most important bands around today.

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Slaves defy all expectations by refusing to slip into mediocrity

This was my first time seeing Slaves on their own tour rather than just at festival slots. The venue for the night would be the O2 Academy, a deceptive venue that, upon entrance, did not seem capable of fitting the 3,000 people it holds at full capacity, though, in my opinion, this was a good thing. Contrary to popular belief, rock music is not done justice by sold out arena performances, rather it is at its best when crammed into compact spaces, where it has the ability to tear through the eardrums of everyone in the room like a knife through butter. The ability of the venue to contain this sonic force of nature is tenuous at best, the aural equivalent of taking the acoustics of a cathedral and blasting them through a pair of £9.99 JVC earphones from Currys.  So naturally, Isaac and Laurie lived up to this expectation and so much more.

From my seat, I was no more than 20 metres from the stage with a perfect view of the crowd below me as well. Sitting next to me were a middle-aged couple who struck up a conversation about the bands they’d seen recently and how excited they were to see The Damned and Bauhaus in the coming weeks. Looking down into the crowd, it was interesting to see amongst the sea of young faces pockets of older ones, smiling and laughing with leather jackets on and pints in hands. It is this mix of the old and new that make the band so endearing; by taking influence from the punk movement of the 70s and giving it a modern makeover, Slaves are a band that bridge generations.

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By taking influence from the punk movement of the 70s and giving it a modern makeover, Slaves are a band that bridge generations

To warm up the crowd, Willie J Healey brought his unique blend of lo-fi rock and blues influenced pop, and Lady Bird nearly stole the entire show, blasting infectious punk riffs accompanied by sneering lyrical musings on society and Wetherspoons. For me, a gig can only ever be as good as the crowd it creates, and this one was honestly one of the best I’d ever seen, singing along and moshing to the supporting acts as if they were the main attraction they had paid to see. The atmosphere was infectious, an eclectic energy had permeated the venue, and Slaves hadn’t even come on yet. The crowd was restless, even moshing and dancing to the music being played over the speaker system in between set times. I will never forget the image of a mohawk sporting punk in a Misfits t-shirt head banging aggressively to ‘Wannabe,’ nor the sight of the entire crowd (unsuccessfully) attempting to do the Cha Cha Slide.

Finally, Isaac and Laurie arrived on stage and the show began with their high-octane cover of ‘Shutdown.’ It soon became apparent that the duo had no intention of relenting, as, over the next hour and a half, they mercilessly tore through their discography, with the majority of songs coming from their debut Are You Satisfied? and their latest release Acts of Fear and Love. Take Control was represented with ‘Lies’ and the short but sweet ‘Fuck The Hi-Hat’ that Isaac involved the whole crowd in, however; even their debut EP Sugar Coated Bitter Truth was represented with a phenomenal performance of ‘Beauty Quest.’

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You get the impression whilst watching them that they’re not playing for the crowd, they’re playing for themselves

The talent of the duo lies in the unmistakable raw energy that comes from their live performances; they manage to achieve with a drum kit and guitar what most full bands can only dream of achieving. Laurie on guitar bounces manically around the stage, and Isaac on drums moves like a feral animal, assaulting his kit as if it’s the very representation of idleness and systematic control that he so often rages against in his lyrics. You get the impression whilst watching them that they’re not playing for the crowd, they’re playing for themselves. It’s incredible to watch and it’s an energy that’s reflected in the crowd, the type of crowd that restores your faith in the live music scene in an era where it has become the norm for musicians to look into the audience and see only a sea of smartphones staring back at them, an issue that Isaac tackles in the song ‘Photo Opportunity’ (‘What are you trying to do to me?/ This is not a photo opportunity), where he instructs the audience to put away the few phones that were out on display.

Before I knew it, the band were finishing with the fan favourite ‘The Hunter’ and walking triumphantly offstage without a word. The lights came on and the sweat drenched and exhausted masses began to slowly make their way outside into the cold Birmingham night. It’s easy to dismiss Slaves as tuneless noise, but that would be a gross misunderstanding; in a genre that is consistently becoming more and more aimless and repetitive, Slaves are a shot of adrenaline as they put the punk back into rock, and remind us what it’s like to have fun again.

‘Acts Of Fear And Love’ is available now via Universal Music.