Live Review: Bob Vylan - Electric Ballroom, London
3rd December 2022
Words & Photos: Charley Shillabeer
The room is filled with a blue tint and you can feel the restlessness of the fifteen hundred people that have come to attend the gig. It was less than six months ago that the Duo had sold out every single show on their UK tour. The London date being The Underworld, holding Five hundred people. It is safe to say that these two build more and more traction with every passing day.
Bob enters the stage, head down, full tracksuit on. Bobbie mounts the kit to the back right of the stage. A backing track is queued and a young girls voice sounds out “Now, it's time for some light stretching, feel free to join in”. Bob stands with feet shoulder length apart and looks up with closed eyes. His right arm leavers over his body while his left arm pulls, stretching to his fullest.
He repeats this routine and adds more movements.
Q: Is this Physical Education or a Punk Rock show?
A: This is a Punk Rock show where it’s probably wise to have a bit of a warm up.
While all of this is going on Bobbie begins to build tension in the back and it is obvious that Bob is feeling loose and agile. He opens his eyes fully and takes in the crowd with a twisted smile on his face. Covering stage left to right in what seems to be a couple of strides. Everyone’s eyes glued to Bob, heads pivoting on shoulders mimicking a stall of people watching a tennis match. The duo are relentless.
After the first track Bob jumps off the stage and throws himself into the crowd, surfing a quarter of the venue before returning.
Side note: This was not pre-planned, the light Tec had no idea as Bob simply disappeared into a void of darkness and clamouring hands.
Dear Bob Vylan attendees, That’s some real Punk shit!
Out of Nowhere the dreadlocked hurricane of man emerges over the barrier and in one motion hops the five foot gap between ground and stage like he was skipping over a curb and without loss of breath Carries on unfazed.
As is, this show is fun, fast paced and energetic, everything you want from a Punk show, but the duo has more treats up their sleeves…
Bobby Bones of Strange Bones joins the two. Guitar in hand they play the colab - Menace. The energy exchange is ridiculous and I find myself thankful for the light stretch at the beginning of the set. Bobby Bones is a Tasmanian Devil in leather. Seeing all three of the Bob’s doing what they do best was an absolute treat but definitely not the last in store.
Shortly after John Skints of The Skints takes to the stage featuring on Bob Vylans Track Health is Wealth. Changing the pace of the evening with groovy Reggae rhythm, making perfect sense in contrast to the high energy DIY Punk prior.
The reception is strong and is a welcome change. Bob notices the sweaty warn out faces in the front rows and comes to the edge of the stage and asks who’s thirsty. He starts to throw his own rider into the crowd, asking stage hands for more water. “Take a sip, pass it on, but don’t get covid init” Bob’s mannerisms and demeanor is soft, kind and authentic, when the microphone hangs below his waist. A real considerate soul. He takes a minute after this to talk about the success that the duo have had; first band to self-record, self-mix, self-elease on their own record label and reach the UK top twenty. First band to get an Alternative Award at the MOBO (Music of Black Origins) literally building a bridge for black alternative artists.
After Bob spoke about the success of the duo this year alone he asked something from the room. To put away their phones. Bob asked for us to all authentically be together, to be present, not to be behind a screen but for one song all be together in the tribe. Every single person obliged. There was no Illumination in the crowd at all. Just a sea of people wanting to be in the moment. Once he noticed that everyone’s phone was down he went on to talk about all of the countries that they have been to this year; touring the US with Amyl and The Sniffers, Romania, France etc. He said the one thing that all of these countries have in common is their “Racist Police State” he then introduced the song - 'Pulled Pork' with the statement “Skin a pig, save a life” a message that everyone in their right mind can get behind.
The evening felt like it had reached a peak and would wind down from here on out… nope.
Enter Laurie Vincent of Slaves. Laurie and Bob recently released the track The Delicate Nature but no one had expected to see Laurie sharing the stage. Especially after all of the other fantastic guest appearances. Laurie's sound is instantly recognisable and throws you back to the early/mid 10’s, the track is danceable and catchy, even if the guitar tone sounds like a jar of pissed off bees. Everyone is eating it up despite only being a month since release on YouTube. The song ends but the surprises keep coming. Laurie plays switcheroo and in his place stands Issac Holman, drummer and singer of Slaves. Chances are if you like Bob Vylan you definitely like Slaves however after a successful start in their career the band disappeared from the face of the earth for the last five years bar their last EP. To see Laurie and Issac on the same stage again, Let alone with the Vylans was beyond anyone's expectations for the show. It’s clear to see that the two duos not only have a fruitful working relationship but also share an authentic friendship.
Isaac and Bob played ‘One More Day Won't Hurt’, the first song on the EP 'The Velvet Ditch' by Slaves. A strong, punchy track that sounds like a confession to the band's disappearance from the vanguard of British punk. Just as Bob did at the start of the gig, Issac did towards the end. The bulldog, Holman dives over the barrier into the thick hurricane of bodies microphone in hand, suspended in the air by the frantic motion of the people below them. Seeing Issac high energy and healthy after such a long hiatus was quality but objectively It was a shame that Bobbie and Issac didn't swap out to hear some of that super aggressive marching band drumming that Slaves where infamous for.
As the night organically comes to a close Bob announces that there’s only time for two more songs. The evening is wrapped up by the Punk rock flagship in their arsenal ‘Pretty Songs’ followed by the Jungle infused ‘Wicked and Bad’ the distorted horn synths push through the stacks of monitors rumbling your insides like the sound system at a dirty free party circa 2016. Bob runs up the chorus “You’ve been wicked and bad, put the money in the bag’’ Sparks start to shoot up front of stage, party cannons fire out confetti and 100’s of giant (High quality may I add) balloons fall to the pit. The aesthetics of a Bob Vylan resembles a British kids birthday party in the often romanticized 90’s and although it is painfully tacky, it just feels right.
Bobbie and Bob Vylan are an incredibly versatile duo that you NEED to catch in 2023. These two are making moves and it doesn’t look like they are slowing down any time soon.
Photo credits: Charley Shillabeer
