Electro-Punk duo Sleaford Mods bring their politically fuelled energy to a sold-out Leeds University Stylus.
Support act
Liines served to whip-up to capacity crowd with a cacophony of crunchy guitar effects and pounding drum loops. They went from strength to strength and perfectly demonstrated the power that a well-placed support act can have, particularly when opening for
Sleaford Mods, whose live act energy is well known.
As the Mods took to the stage the frenzied crowd was already in full voice, chanting at the band before a note had even been played. Opening the set was track, ‘Into The Payzone’, taken from their latest LP ‘Eton Alive’. As the beat kicked in those in attendance came unglued, screaming along with each and every political statement delivered by an undeniably intense Jason Williamson. Following this were tracks such as, ‘Subtraction’ and ‘Stick In A Five A Go’. Each oozing the Mods’ trademark disenfranchisement with the modern climate, tackling issues such as wages, consumerism and the troubles facing modern bands. Following this was lead single from their latest release, ‘Kebab Spider’. Perfectly demonstrating why the LP has been the success it has, the aggressive beats accompanied Williamson’s anger perfectly, creating a punk-rock rave within Leeds Student Union.
With the set drawing its midway point, the Mods unleashed the one-two punch of tracks, ‘TCR’ and ‘B.H.S’. With these tracks Williamson unleashed his unrelenting venom upon the crowd. Screaming at the top of his lungs, a sweat drenched Williamson provided the perfect contrast to the hip-hop infused beats, provided by the Mods beat-master Andrew Fern. It would be amiss not to mention the vocal demonstrations of the sweat-drenched sold-out audience. In the closing stages of the set were tracks such as, ‘Jolly Fucker’, ‘Big Burt’ and ‘Bang Someone Out’. All of which demonstrated the bands aggression and anger at the world, something that clearly resonated with the boisterous crowd. Closing out the initial stage of the set was another track taken from ‘Eton Alive’, ‘O.B.C.T’.
After a brief break from the action, Sleaford Mods returned to the stage for a staggering 4 song encore. This composed of tracks such as, ‘Jobseeker’, ‘Tied Up In Nottz’, ‘Tarantula Deadly Cargo’ before bringing the show to its penultimate climax with, ‘Discourse’. Each of these tracks with the full force of the electro-beats brought the crowd to their peak, quite literally throwing themselves into each of the tracks with full force. As ‘Discourse’ drew to close, the punk-rock frenzy was over.
Sleaford Mods at the Leeds University Stylus was a testament to the band's relevancy and necessity within the modern musical landscape. They encapsulated their non-conformity and punk-rock ethos, the political driven show held those in attendance in the palm of their hand and transported them to the alternative world in which they occupy. This is sure to live long in the memory of those lucky enough to be in attendance.
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