Fiercely DIY and independent driven, London duo Bob Vylan have chosen their own supports for this tour. (First on are fellow Londoners ‘Kid Bookie’ - seething metallers, champion swearers and besties with Slipknot’s Corey Taylor. Rap-rock and nu-metal will never totally be eradicated judging by this display. Cardiff’s ‘Panic Shack’ are the antidote. Four fifths female, an authentic punk snarl mixed with a keen sense of fun and most importantly, a breath of piss-taking fresh air on stage.
And so, to the two Bobs. When did you last do some stretching and meditation in a pre-gig warm up with the band you paid to see? No, me neither until tonight, this is live music done Bob Vylan’s way. Pre-recorded amped-up guitars are the backdrop to the relentless drums (Bobbie) and stage-stalker (Bobby). Nicely warmed up, we’re all ready for some speedy hard-hitting grime-rap-punk mashup. ‘I heard You want Your Country Back?’, ‘Pulled Pork’, ‘He’s A Man’, ‘Wicked & Bad’ all delivered with BV sharp-edged social commentary. Can you sense the angst? Off the back of some social media controversy and live confrontation with a couple of their peers recently, Bobby is keen to address this ongoing tete-a-tete head on in front of their Leeds community. He does, it’s tense, it’s over so let’s move on. A thunderous show-ending encore of Nirvana’s ‘Territorial Pissings’ brings the set fittingly to a raucous end.
Bob Vylan are raw, powerful and hugely vital and boy are we in need of them right now.
Words – Pete Jackson
Album number three (Humble As The Sun) is out next April.
Bob Vylan official