I’ve been excited about this gig since its announcement and even more so when I saw who had been chosen by Sleaford Mods as Support. With Big Special and Emily Breeze transforming this from a great to an excellent lineup for me and a few friends. Anticipation levels were high as we all got together in Bristol’s oldest pub, ‘The Hatchet’ for a few pre-show drinks. This is pub that always brings back memories from past gigs as it’s situated a stone’s throw from tonight’s venue, Bristol’s very own 02 Academy. This gig sold out ages ago, I think this had something to do with the quality of support acts, so I felt lucky to have been given the chance to attend and pen a few words.

Bristol’s finest Emily Breeze was first up, speaking to Emily at a gig earlier this year, she seemed super stoked to be supporting Sleaford Mods on her home turf which made it that bit more special for her and her band. With her latest album Rapture drenched in Bristol references from Stokes Croft to The Bell, she tells tales about neither becoming famous nor rich, within an album I think should have made her both! Emily opens the set with Ego Death which opens with the line “Every day I wake up praying that place of work has been burnt down or blown up”,a line that both provokes a rye smile and nods back to some of the times where I have thought the same! This lyric was one that turned me onto Emily’s work way back and I have been a fan ever since. She made us all laugh and cheer, referencing the “£8 pints of warm Carling lager at the bar” and also thanked us for coming early as she wouldn’t necessarily do the same! (at least she’s honest!) Emily and her band treated us to a new track from a forthcoming EP, which is set for release in February, a track titled 1997 was introduced as being “young, dumb and full of shit!!” and I for one, am eagerly awaiting the rest of the new material.  

Emily’s track CONFESSIONS OF AN AGEING PARTY GIRL is a song that glitters and glides along effortlessly with a stomping drum beat and twinkling guitars. Emily is a true popstar; a performer and she freely gave it all to her hometown audience who were   growing more and more appreciative as the set wore on. THE BELL is an up-tempo, rock n’ roll, drink fuelled belter which saw guitarist Rob Norbury letting rip with Ok Computer-esque solos taking centre stage and with Emily screaming “fuck it, tomorrow’s gonna be alright” over screeching guitars, I couldn’t help but shout along with her and the rest of the room.  Her set closed with ORDINARY LIFE, which is a slow dance celebration of accepting our mundane lives that we appear to live every single day, a reflection on the past and acceptance of the present. What a start to the night!  

Next up, Big Special took to the stage in front of a packed 02 Academy, (I think word may have gotten out to get there early to see them). The two-piece Indie Punk act, originally from Birmingham and now living in Bristol (against their will) said very much ‘tongue in cheek’, at least, with a room full of Bristolians, I hope it was! 

The sound of Survivor’s Eye of the Tiger is cut short as singer Joe Hicklin announced, “Enough of that - We are Big Special, let’s have a laugh....” before launching into their set. They waste little time before hitting Bristol with SHITHOUSE, a song that screams and punches Mickey Mouse in the throat, whilst laughing in a hysterical and evil way. “Never in a million years did I think I’d see your fucking face again” Hicklin screams as the song comes to a close.  

DESPERATE BREAKFAST sees Joe’s voice flit from rasping rock vocal to punk to spoken word, I will add that before I saw this band live, I struggled to understand how many singers they had! THIS HERE AIN’T WATER sounded immense and I’d recommend listening to the remix of this song by Public Service Broadcasting for a completely different, and haunting dance-based version. Big Special combine punk rock energy with humour and are totally engaged with the audience throughout their set. Drummer (aka Pots and Pans) Callum Maloney, was having the time of his life and smiles throughout the gig. He stands up, sits down then enters the crowd at one point (without drum kit) to sing back at the stage as Hicklin stands on the barrier like a Shakespearian town crier during their set closer and DIG IT as he spoke/sang his soliloquies right in my face as he fist bumped the green haired punk that had bustling his way around the crowd since the moment we got here.  

There is clearly a lot more to come from this band and it was clear that they gained a lot of fans from this gig. I chatted to some fellow gig-goers at the bar who seemed enthused to discover Big Special tonight.  Thankfully they will be back in Bristol at The Louisiana on the 11th December. BE THERE!  

Sleaford Mods took to the stage skipping and screaming to a beat the never stopped. The room was illuminated with a stage full of bright white strobe lighting which was rather uncomfortable but that’s what they are all about. They launched straight in with the opening track from their latest album UK GRIM, ladies and gents, Sleaford Mods have arrived. The crowd immediately mirror the movement they see on stage and waste no time in getting well and truly stuck in! I find myself rammed to the front barrier watching front man Jason Willamson, who from the start of this gig to its glorious end, forges a close relationship with his bottle of water, placing it on his head and walking around like an ape blowing raspberries at the crowd.  

PIT TO PIT lives up to its name and gets a pit going with all the punks moshing and pushing anyone in their vicinity. Say what you will about Sleaford Mods and their seriously political lyrics, live, they are a lot of fun, they don’t take themselves too seriously and playing serious music is a no easy feat. Someone stood next to me asked what the fuck the water bottle is all about?,  I just laughed and replied, “fuck knows, but it’s amusing!” 

“Oi Bristol, what does it all mean? You sound like a bag of cunts...” bellowed Williamson, everyone laughed as they slow things down and the room get well narky with a fight in Sainsbury’s car park in SMASH EACH OTHER UP which leads straight into MORK N MINDY, which they dedicated to Billy No Mates, a Bristol Artist who provides vocals on the recorded version but is sadly not here tonight to perform with them. This song goes off like ‘Supersonic’ at an OASIS gig with a pit forming and everyone getting lively as I fly around the place trying not to lose my hat.  

Is this a gig or is it a Sleaford Mods fronted aerobic session, who knows? Who fucking cares! The wizard behind the laptop (Andrew Fearn) does not stop moving throughout their set, he jumps and jogs on the spot to the beat at an impressive rate, something I’d probably struggle to do!  Next up, is a cover of WEST END GIRLS by Pet Shop Boys which is a cover not many expected, but makes complete sense, especially live, as everyone likes a little dance to a pop tune that they already know (and love). Sleaford’s have released this one with all the proceeds going to the homeless charity ‘Shelter’ so please support it in any way that you can.  

As time plods on, they just don’t stop, smashing through songs in an epic show, with over 20 tracks on the setlist. JOB SEEKER is a true crowd pleaser and was the very first song I heard, so it stands to reason that someone would elbow me in the head during a successful crowd surf as everyone keeps me aloft, how I managed to dodge their flailing limbs, I will never know!  I heard a fan shout, “they are Sex Pistols and The Streets wrapped into one” when he saw me struggling to write notes whilst in a mosh pit (the lengths I go to for your entertainment!)  

TWEET TWEET TWEET is the set closer “All you Zombies TWEET TWEET TWEET”, it was over so fast! The music stops dead as Andrew Fearn packs his laptop into his bag and they both leave the stage. Their music may be minimalist, but their performance is anything but. Who needs a band? My eyes were flashing like strobes as I walked out amongst the sweaty and the messy into the damp cool night air of Bristol’s city centre. 

Review by Matthew Barnes

Photography by Matthew Barnes and xeemoz